Mild Weather to Give Way to Cold Showers

The Southland will experience another day of mild weather Wednesday before showers arrive Thursday amid a precipitous drop in temperatures.

The impending cold, windy weather will result from a cold low pressure system moving in from the northwest, according to the National Weather Service.

Record highs were reached or matched in the Southland earlier this week, including 88 at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank Tuesday, tying a record set Dec. 17, 1980, and 86 at Pierce College on Woodland Hills, tying a record set Dec. 17 1998.

While several degrees cooler, Wednesday's temperatures will remain mild — 77 in Pasadena, 73 in downtown L.A — but drop sharply Thursday, by more than 20 degrees in many communities and by 34 degrees on Mount Wilson.

The NWS forecast highs of 71 Wednesday, 52 Thursday in Santa Monica; 64 Wednesday, 60 Thursday in Newport Beach; 69 Wednesday, 57 Thursday in Long Beach; 71 Wednesday, 59 Thursday at LAX; 73 Wednesday, 59 Thursday in downtown L.A.; and 77 Wednesday, 56 Thursday in Pasadena.

A wind advisory will be in effect in the Antelope Valley from midnight Wednesday until 8 p.m. Thursday while in the San Gabriel Mountains in both L.A. and Ventura County, a winter weather advisory will be in force from midnight Wednesday until 4 a.m. Friday.

Winds of 20-30 miles per hour are expected in the mountains, gusting to 45 mph, according to NWS forecasters.

The snow level, meanwhile will fall from 5,500-6,000 feet Wednesday night to near 3,500 by Thursday morning. Between 3 and 7 inches are expected to accumulate above 4,500 feet.